The Director-General of the King Hussein Cancer Center, Assem Mansour, warned of a “tsunami” of cancer, lung and heart diseases in Jordan due to the high rates of smoking.

Mansour told Roya that in the coming years, the Kingdom will witness an increase in non-communicable diseases such as cancer and lung and heart diseases, noting the health system in the Kingdom or the world will not be able to keep up.

He added that Jordan is one of the only countries in the world with advancing rates of smoking addiction while the world is retreating.

Mansour called for measures to be taken to prevent smoking.

He pointed out that taxes on smoke and tobacco in Jordan are insufficient, calling for making smoke largely unavailable to people, especially the youth.

Mansour called on the government to increase taxes on smoke, so a large percentage of young people and children become unable to buy them.

Additionally, he called on the government to combat the black market and the smuggling of tobacco.